Page 4 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

“Easy girl.” Sabrina makes her way around to the front of Sugar, talking to her in hushed tones.

“Go ahead, Kennedy. Sugar wants to know why her favorite snack giver won't be coming by anymore.”Huffing, I know she will keep after me if I don't tell her the whole story.

“Ethan wanted to pick me up, as you are well aware.” Stepping back from the horse and tucking the brush into my back pocket, I remove the carrot I have as a reward, placing it under Sugar’s nose “We both know how well that idea went.”

My dating experience was sadly limited. Friends told me I was too picky and should take a guy home just to get a release. I never bought into the casual sex thing; I had been the girl all those public service announcements had reached. I never touched drugs, never cheated on a test or skipped class. Never once did I give my number to a boy I didn't know or let a guy pick me up from my house.

“So we agreed to meet at Simone's, over by the hospital.” I watch Sugar eat the carrot, her lips curling away from her teeth as she enjoyed the well-deserved treat.

“When I arrived, he was already there with a glass of red wine waiting for me.” Sabrina quirked an eyebrow at me, knowing how much I hated red wine. “When the waiter came by asking what I would like, I took the opportunity to set things straight.”

Following Sabrina out the door of the stall, I rubbed my hand down the nose of Sugar one last time. “Doesn't sound too scandalous, kind of boring really.” She shrugs, continuing down the hall toward her office.

“Hey! Do you want to hear this, or would you rather pick fun at me?” A slow glance over her shoulder briefly shows me her unamused eyes before turning back around.

“As the waiter told us of the chef's specials, I slid the glass of wine in his direction, ordered the lamb chops and politely asked him to remove the wine and bring me a glass of water with lemon instead.”

As we turned out of the stables, I caught the incredible aroma of Martha’s, famous chicken and noodles. Her food was legendary, and a nice bonus for working here. A far cry better than the food I had back in my room last night.

“As soon as the waiter excused himself, Ethan asked if there was something wrong with the wine. I leaned forward, checked to see if anyone was listening, and excitedly told him I had used an ovulation kit earlier in the day and if everything went well with the date, we could be parents before the first snowfall.”

For the first time in a long while, Sabrina didn't have a witty comeback. No carefully crafted words to make me cringe or shake my head. “As the waiter set our plates down, Ethan received an urgent phone call and had to leave, begging for my forgiveness and a rain check.” I was taking far too much amusement in my accomplishment than I should; boasting about deception was not a good character building exercise.

“So you pulled the almost pregnancy card and sent him packing?”

“I know, I know. It was dishonest and I shouldn't have done it, but you have to admit he was becoming a pest.” I argued, why I’m not sure.

“Oh, Kennedy, you're not the first girl to toss that particular card and you won't be the last.” Her tone was the same Lucia, our cook back home, would use when I did something she didn't approve of.

“Listen, you are a pretty girl with your whole life ahead of you and there is a blank canvas before you, just waiting for bad decisions and regrettable boyfriends. As you get older, you will learn the art of seduction and how to tell a good lie.”

Several of the ranch hands already stood in line, no one wanted to miss Martha's Sunday dinner. Sabrina picked up a plate, holding it out for me to take. “But until you can perfect the lying part, you might want to knock off the politeness and soak up some pure bitch.” My mouth dropped open in surprise, eyes wide no doubt.

“Ethan called you on your poker face,” she nodded to the table behind me. I found myself turning around slowly, terrified at what I would find.

“Those came for you after Mr. Green’s wife picked him up.Peach roses, at least a dozen in total, sat out of place on the wooden table beside the military picture of Sabrina’s son. While their beauty was unquestionable, the rationale was, Ethan knew I was leaving in less than a month, moving halfway across the country to disappoint my mother even more than I currently do.

“My advice to you is be straight with the boy, or call that lawyer father of yours and get a restraining order on him.”

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